Krugman: Obamacare Is the Right’s Worst Nightmare

[ProSense]

Obamacare Is the Right’s Worst Nightmare

News from New York: it looks as if insurance premiums on the individual market are going to plunge thanks to Obamacare. This shouldn’t come as a surprise; in fact, the New York experience perfectly illustrates why Obamacare had to look the way it does. And it also illustrates why conservatives should be terrified about this legislation, as it takes effect. Americans may have had a lot of misgivings in advance, thanks to vast, deliberately spread misinformation. But I agree with Matt Yglesias — unless the GOP finds even more ways to sabotage the plan, this thing is going to work, it’s going to be extremely popular, and it’s going to wreak havoc with conservative ideology.

To understand what’s happening in New York, you have to start with what almost everyone at least pretends to believe: Americans shouldn’t find it impossible to get health insurance because of pre-existing conditions that aren’t their fault. Two decades ago, New York tried to deal with this by imposing community rating: insurance is available to everyone, and the price doesn’t depend on your medical history.

The problem was that this created a death spiral: young, healthy people didn’t buy insurance, worsening the risk pool, driving up premiums, driving out more relatively healthy people, etc., until you were left with a rump of very ill people paying very high rates.

How do you deal with this? Well, ideally, Medicare for all. But since that wasn’t going to happen, you improve the risk pool by requiring everyone to buy insurance — the individual mandate. And since some people won’t be able to afford that, you also offer subsidies...Where does the money for the subsidies come from? Partly by reducing corporate welfare: reducing overpayments for Medicare Advantage, reducing tax breaks for very generous insurance plans; partly with new taxes on the wealthy.

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http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/17/obamacare-is-the-rights-worst-nightmare

[leftstreet]

1. He probably means well, but he's wrong

A mandated insurance program that forces TAXPAYERS to SUBSIDIZE Teh PoOR!! is a GOP campaign dream come true

Meh

[Pretzel_Warrior]

4. Not if it works. You don't see GOP trying to roll back women's right to vote

Or get rid of social security. Once a program is in, working, and popular....people start to trust government.

[leftstreet]

6. True. The Democrats are the ones trying to fuck with SS n/t

[SunSeeker]

13. ONLY the Reupublicans want to privatize social security. nt

[Tanuki]

18. You must be joking.

Let me refresh your memory:
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/08/paul-ryan-social-security-privatization.php

[n2doc]

8. They haven't gotten to women yet

But they sure are working on suppressing the vote of anyone who isn't white. Men and women alike.

And they would get rid of SS in a heartbeat. They just don't want to take the blame for it. Ryan has put SS privatization into his dream plans.

[Kennah]

16. They were trying out rape philosophy in 2012. I hope they persist with it.

[Cha]

2. I guess in their little pea brain existence.. they knew this..

and have tried at least 37 times to repeal it in the House. that's all they do. They're scared to work on any JOBS Bill in an Obama Admin.

mahalo PS

[KittyWampus]

3. The Firebaggers knew it too. But they still hate it as well.

[Cha]

7. Hehe..

[spanone]

5. +5,000,000.00

[Iliyah]

10. 38th today I believe

[Safetykitten]

9. It's our biggest nightmare. The uninsured till 2014.

[Faygo Kid]

11. He's right. Wait till those over 60 realize they can retire early.

Because they can join the exchanges for affordable health care until Medicare - which will open up tremendous job opportunities for Xers and Millenials, and nobody will want to turn back.

That's why the GOP is so desperate to kill it.

[hue]

12. K&R!!

[SunSeeker]

14. Krugman rocks.

[badtoworse]

15. Not sure it's a hit with the left either

I saw a thread a day or to ago about the teamsters union complaining loudly about it. Too lazy to look for the link.

[ProSense]

17. Kick! n/t

[mstinamotorcity2]

19. As the pieces of this Legislation

are implemented the cost keep effectively coming down. there were so many people and business that got those rebate checks on their health care it was ridiculous. Those who had health care insurance where they didn't use the majority of the premium dollar collected received a rebate. Those were all people. Democratic, repug, and Independents. This is the stupidest fight that any one party could ever pick. It sounds so dumb the repugs are just really trying to insult the intelligence of Americans. They act as if no one can go online and find out how the bill was created. That it was based on a Model of a working plan in Massachusetts. And it was developed by people from MIT, John Hopkins Medical, Center for Disease Control, AMA, and some of the smartest people we can educate and we are supposed to believe something wrong the plan.